SWWIM Reading Series at The Betsy Writer's Room presents eight celebrated women poets in residence, September 2025-April 2026. Each visiting poet pairs with Miami's vibrant literary voices for intimate readings, fostering cross-generational dialogue and celebrating contemporary women's poetry.
This series offers audiences rare access to emerging and established poets in an intimate setting, fostering meaningful connections between writers, readers, and Miami's thriving arts community. Presented with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE.
ABOUT THE POETS
Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Black Chicago native who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is a Features Editor for The Rumpus, a Poetry Acquisitions Editor for Variant Literature, an Editorial Board Member for Beloit Poetry Journal, and an Editorial Advisor for Jackleg Press. She is the author of two chapbooks, her debut full-length, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times, from Soft Skull Press, which won the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award, the 2023 Chicago Review of Books Award in Poetry, and the 2024 Ohio Book Award for Poetry, and Resting Bitch Face, forthcoming in August 2025. She is also a co-editor of The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol X: Alabama from Texas Review Press, and of Poemhood: Our Black Revival, a YA anthology on Black folklore from HarperCollins.
Rosa Sophia Godshall is the author of Many Miles (Harbor Editions). Her work has been published in Philadelphia Stories Magazine, Sentience Literary Journal, SoFloPoJo, SWWIM Every Day, Islandia Journal, Thimble Literary Magazine, Limp Wrist, and others. She was the recipient of the 2023 Christopher F. Kelly Award for Poetry, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, through Florida International University. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a degree in automotive technology. She is also the managing editor of Mobile Electronics magazine, a publication for the aftermarket car audio industry. Rosa lives in Palm Bay, Florida, where she enjoys working on her 1960 Jeep CJ5, repairing typewriters and writing typewriter poetry on demand. Visit her website to learn more: www.torquesgarage.com